Perimeter Pest Control: Household Invaders Associated with Landscapes Dr. David Shetlar (the BugDoc) The Ohio State University/OARDC OSU Extension Columbus,

Perimeter Pest Control: Household Invaders Associated with

Landscapes

Dr. David Shetlar (the BugDoc)

The Ohio State University/OARDCOSU ExtensionColumbus, OH

© D.J. Shetlar, 2002, all rights reserved

2

Remember!In Ohio “Perimeter Pest Control”

Comes under the category of:

General Pest Control(ODA Category 10A)

Lawn, category 8 doesn’t cover it!

Ornamentals, category 5 doesn’t cover it!

In short, lawn and landscape managers can do perimeter pest control, but you need the license!

3

Why are household invaders associated with landscapes?

Landscapes provide the 3 essentials!

• Food

• Water

• Habitat (nesting, hiding, protection)

Pests "Associated" with Landscapes

Earwigs

Soldier Beetles

Ground Beetles

Millipedes

Sowbugs-Pillbugs

Slugs & Snails

Spiders

Clover Mites

Artillary fungus

Ground Nesting Wasps

Ants, ground nesting

Ants, carpenter & cavity

Fleas

Ticks

Pine leaf-footed bugs

Boxelder bugs

Moles, voles and shrews

MC Asian lady beetle

Earwigs, Soldier & Ground Beetles

Generally, predators

Aggravated by:mulch and irrigationaphids, mealybugs, scales

6

Striped earwig male.

European earwig female and egg mass

(under landscape timber).

7

• Bifenthrin (=Talstar®)

• Cyfluthrin (=Tempo®)

• Cypermethrin (=Demon®, Cynoff®)

• Permethrin (=Astro®, Dragnet®, Flee®)

• Tralomethrin (=Saga®)

Earwig Control Products

8

Ground beetle adult, a general predator.

Ground beetle larvae are also

predators.

9



• Deltamethrin (DeltaDust®)

• Lambda-cyhalothrin (=Demand®)


Beetle Control Products

Ants, Carpenter

General feeders

Associated with tree rots

Properly prune treesNO TOPPING!!

Keep tree branches from house

Reduce honeydew producers

11

Common Ohio Ants

Carpenter Ant

Characterized by having polymorphic workers

Nest by excavating decaying wood or voids (they don’t eat the wood, they cast out wood shavings!)

Major nests in trees (satellite nests in buildings where water is available)

Most active at night (best time to find colony(ies) is at night!)

12

Black carpenter ants taking

sugars from Peony nectaries.

Irrigation cover in FL lawn.

Carpenter ant colony under cover.

13

Carpenter Ant Management

Locate nesting site(s) (outside and/or inside - look at night, repair water damaged structures)

Prune back trees and shrubs touching infested building

Seal external entry sites

Exclude with parameter sprays

Treat colonies (injection, dusts) (baiting is rarely successful)

14

Larger Yellow (Citronella) Ant Odorous House Ant Acrobat Ants Argentine Ant Little Black Ant Pavement Ant Pharaoh Ant Thief Ant

Common Ohio AntsHouse & Building Invaders

15

Ants, Ground Nesting

General scavengers & honeydew

Aggravated byaphids & scales

open areas (thin turf)

17

Cornfield ants swarming on landscape timbers. Home owner thought they were termites!

Pavement ant colonies commonly

battle each other.

18

Ant Management

Identify species!

Locate nesting site (outside and/or inside)

Prune back trees and shrubs touching infested building

Seal external entry sites

Exclude with parameter sprays

Select appropriate bait

Treat colonies (injection, dusts)

19




• Deltamethrin (DeltaDust®, Suspend®)




• Borates (=Niban®)

• BAITS – numerous specific products

Ant Control Products

Millipedes, Centipedes, & Sowbugs-Pillbugs

Feed on young plants, clippings & fungi, centipedes are predators

Aggravated by:Too much mulch

Irrigation

Fresh clippings or compost

21

Millipede (Diplopoda)

Centipede (Chilopoda)

Sowbug, pillbug (Isopoda)

22








Centipede/Millipede/Sowbug Control Products

23

Spiders

Feed on insects and other arthropods

Aggravated by:mulch & irrigation

tall vegetation

night lights

landscape stones, timbers, etc.

24

Jumping spiders are common landscape “stalking” predators which may end up inside buildings.

Wolf spiders also stalk their prey.

Males commonly invade buildings in late summer while looking for mates.

25

Brown recluse spiders prefer undisturbed habitat, especially cavities under bark of fire wood.

Widow spiders commonly build their tangle webs around

night lights.

26








Spider Control Products

Clover Mites

Feed on grasses & some plants

Aggravated by:mild winter temperaturescool spring or fall temperatures

thick turf next to home

28

Adult mite on grass blade.

Clover mites laying eggs under irrigation switch box case.

Clover mites on masking tape from basement wall!

Slugs & Snails

Feed on young/soft plants & clippings

Aggravated by:mulch & irrigation

thick lawns with thatch

hosta

30

Common garden slug and egg mass under landscape timber.

Snails in landscapes generally need soft

plant tissues and moisture.

Ground Nesting Wasps

General predators and scavangers

Aggravated by:thick mulchground covers

low junipers

bare ground (solitary wasps)

32

German yellowjacket nest entrance in blue rug juniper.

Contents of German yellowjacket nest in

above juniper.

33

European hornets feeding on old apples in a back yard.

Polistes wasp chewing up a cutworm larva to

take back to nest.

Fleas & Ticks

Parasites associated with animals

Aggravated by:

Mulched pet sleeping areas

Xeriscaped yardsWeedy areas, low shrubs

Ground covers with mice or voles

35Our “vision” of our back yards – pasture, water, trees!?

36

American dog tick male

Blacklegged (deer) tick female

37

Fleas often infest landscape areas where pets rest (mulch areas!) or other vermin are encouraged.

Roof rat feeding in bird feeder!

38


• Cyfluthrin (=Tempo® ?)






• Methoprene (=Petcor®, Precor®)

• Fipronil (=Front Line® - topical)

• Imidacloprid (=Advantage® - topical)

• Lufenuron (=Program® - pill)

Flea Control Products

Boxelder & Pine Leaf-footed Bugs

Feed on seeds of host trees

Remove boxelder, especially females

Remove Scotch and pitch pines

"Seal" homes

40

Boxelder bugs seem to prefer boxelder trees, but they can easily breed on maples and ashes!

The pine leaffooted bugs feed on seed

cones of pines.

41

Recommendations for Managing Household Invaders

Remember the 3 essentials!

• Food

• Water

• Habitat (nesting, hiding, protection)

42

Reducing Food of Invaders

• Watch for honeydew producers on landscape plants (aphids, soft scales, mealybugs, leafhoppers, etc.)

• Recommend replacing landscape plants that are prone to infestation by honeydew producers.

• Recommend mulches that are not fungal food – hardwood mulches!

43

Reducing Water

• Audit irrigation systems! (reschedule, repair, etc.)

• Locate condenser drip tubes & redirect

• Inspect roof downspouts & redirect

• Reduce Mulch Thickness!

• Note hazards of backyard water ponds!

44

Reducing Habitat of Invaders

• Avoid cavity prone plants – palms, bird-of paradise tree, poorly pruned (topped) trees, etc.

• Avoid dense ground covers – especially prostrate junipers.

• Recommend “open pruning” of landscape plants.

• AVOID THICK LAYERS OF MULCH!

45

Additional Information Resource -

Come visit the BugDoc at:

http://bugs.osu.edu

Documents

Perimeter Pest Control: Household Invaders Associated with Landscapes Dr. David Shetlar (the BugDoc) The Ohio State University/OARDC OSU Extension Columbus,